Electro-optical device and electronic apparatus

ABSTRACT

An electro-optical device includes a frame including a conduction part and a resin part, an electro-optical panel that is housed in the inner side of the resin part, and an exposure part that is formed by exposing the conduction part from the resin part. The exposure part is disposed to face at least a part of an end face of the electro-optical panel or protrude from a surface of the electro-optical panel over the end face.

The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2007-236286,filed Sep. 12, 2007 and 2008-142235, filed May 30, 2008 are expresslyincorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to an electro-optical device and anelectronic apparatus.

2. Related Art

When a human body or an object that is electrically charged approachesor is brought into contact with an electro-optical device such as aliquid crystal panel, static electricity is penetrated into the insidefrom the surface of the liquid crystal panel, and a driving IC, aswitching element, or the like may be damaged. In order to reduceadverse affect of the static electricity on the liquid crystal panel, inJP-A-2006-350216, a configuration in which a frame member made of ametal is fixed to the side face of a casing frame made of a resin, inwhich a liquid crystal panel is installed by using a screw, a metallicrear face member is fixed to the bottom face by using a screw, andstatic electricity is transmitted by using the screws as earth paths hasbeen disclosed. In addition, in JP-A-2006-350217, a configuration inwhich an earth clasp is provided and an earth path is formed byconnecting the earth clasp to a rear face member, which is disposed atthe bottom of a casing frame made of a resin, made of a metal has beendisclosed.

However, in a general electro-optical device, a casing frame made of aresin and a member made of metal are provided separately and the casingframe and the member are fixed by screws, and accordingly, the number ofcomponents increases. In addition, since the electro-optical device isconfigured by combining many components, it is difficult to miniaturizethe electro-optical device. In particular, there is a problem that it isdifficult to decrease the thickness of the electro-optical device.

SUMMARY

An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that an electro-opticaldevice capable of preventing damages of a driving IC, a switchingelement, and the like due to penetration of static electricity into theelectro-optical panel is implemented by using a small number ofcomponents and a decreases of the electro-optical device in size andthickness is implemented.

According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided anelectro-optical device including: a frame including a conduction partand a resin part; an electro-optical panel that is housed in the innerside of the resin part; and an exposure part that is formed by exposingthe conduction part from the resin part, and the exposure part isdisposed to face at least a part of an end face of the electro-opticalpanel or protrude from a surface of the electro-optical panel over theend face. In the electro-optical device, the conduction part may beconfigured to be exposed in an edge of the frame. As the conductionpart, a metal plate disposed along the end face of the electro-opticalpanel may be used. In addition, in order to form the resin part and themetal part integrally, the metal plate is configured to be insert-moldedinto the resin material.

In the electro-optical panel, for example, wirings of scanning lines andsignal lines that are connected to switching elements such as TFTs,lead-out wirings connected thereto, terminals connected to a drivingcircuit, and the like are formed. When discharge occurs due to staticelectricity caused by a user or the like, the static electricitypropagates through the surface of the electro-optical panel, and ispenetrated into the inside of the electro-optical panel from the endface. The static electricity that has been penetrated into the inside ofthe electro-optical panel flows into the driving circuit or theswitching element through the above-described wirings and terminals tocause damages thereof.

According to the above-described aspect of the invention, the staticelectricity that has propagated though the surface of theelectro-optical panel can be more easily discharged to the frame thanthe end face of the electro-optical panel. In particular, by exposingthe conduction part in the edge of the frame on the surface side of theelectro-optical panel, discharge can be easily occur in the frame. Thatis because, generally, static electricity can be easily dischargedtoward a part that thinly protrudes.

In the above-described electro-optical device, the exposure part may bedisposed to face at least a part of an end face of the electro-opticalpanel or protrude from a surface of the electro-optical panel over theend face of the electro-optical panel. It is preferable that the frontend part of the exposed conduction part does not protrude from thesurface of the electro-optical panel for decreasing the electro-opticaldevice in size and thickness. In order to discharge more easily, thefront end part of the exposed conduction part is configured to protrudefrom the surface of the electro-optical panel. That is because theexposed part that protrudes from the surface of the electro-opticalpanel serves as a lightning load and can absorb the static electricitymore easily.

Moreover, by connecting a conduction body to the ground, that is, areference electric potential, discharge in the frame can occur moreeasily. For example, the conduction body of the frame is configured tobe connected to the ground terminal of the driving circuit mounted onthe electro-optical device, or the conduction body of the frame may beconfigured to be brought into contact with the casing of an electronicapparatus to which the electro-optical device is installed.

In the above-described electro-optical device, the static electricitycan be directly discharged to the conduction part of the frame. In otherwords, an additional member for acquiring a discharge path is notneeded, and accordingly, damages of the electro-optical panel due to thestatic electricity can be prevented without increasing the number ofcomponents at all.

When the frame is configured by integrally forming the resin part andthe metal plate, there is no member such as a screw that can be used asa discharge path.

Accordingly, in such a case, the configuration according to this aspectis particularly effective. In addition, since the resin part and themetal part are integrally formed, the number of the components can bedecreased further, and thereby the electro-optical device can bedecreased in size and thickness. Moreover, by integrally forming themetal plate and the resin material, a reinforced integrated frame can beformed. As a result, peel-off of the resin and the metal plate can beprevented, and the strength of the frame for bending can be increased.By increasing the strength for peel-off, penetration of the staticelectricity into the electro-optical panel can be prevented assuredly,and an unnecessary indirect propagation of the static electricity due topeel-off and the like can be prevented.

In addition, the resin part may be disposed on the corners of the frameat the bottom part of the metal plate. In such a case, when theelectro-optical panel is installed to the frame, the end face of theelectro-optical device is brought into contact with the corner parts.Thus, the frame and the end face of the electro-optical panel arebrought into contact with not the metal but the resin part, andaccordingly, insulation is maintained and damages such as cracks do notoccur in the electro-optical device. Thereby, the strength of theelectro-optical panel for cracks can be improved. In the resin partdisposed on the corners of the frame, protrusion parts that protrude tothe outside of the four corners of the frame may be formed. In such acase, when the electro-optical device is installed to an electronicapparatus or the like, the protrusion parts serve to determine thepositions of the electro-optical device, and accordingly, assembly canbe performed in an easy manner.

In the above-described electro-optical device, penetration of the staticelectricity into the electro-optical panel can be prevented in a casewhere the exposed conduction part and the end face of theelectro-optical panel are insulated or conducted.

For example, when a gap is formed between the end face of theelectro-optical panel and the exposed conduction part or an insulationmember having insulation higher than the substrate of the surface of theelectro-optical panel is filled in between the end face of theelectro-optical panel and the exposed conduction part, the conductionpart and the electro-optical panel are insulated from each other moreassuredly. Accordingly, static electricity that has flown through theframe does not return to the electro-optical panel.

On the other hand, when the end face of the electro-optical panel andthe exposed conduction part are brought into contact with each other ora conduction member having conductivity higher than the substrate of thesurface of the electro-optical panel is filled in, the staticelectricity accumulated in the electro-optical panel can be transmittedto the frame more easily.

In other words, in any of the above-described cases, the staticelectricity is not accumulated in the electro-optical panel.

In the above-described electro-optical device, an edge of the metalplate may be bent in the side part toward the electro-optical panelside.

In such a case, the strength of the edge of the metal plate is improved,and mechanical strength of the frame can be improved. In addition, bybending the edge of the metal plate toward the electro-optical panelside, the precision of the size of the metal plate on the outer side ofthe frame can be improved.

In the above-described electro-optical device, the edge of the metalplate may be bent in the side part toward a side opposite to theelectro-optical panel.

In such a case, the strength of the edge of the metal plate is improved,and mechanical strength of the frame can be improved. In addition, bybending the edge of the metal plate toward a side opposite to theelectro-optical panel side, the precision of the size of the metal plateon the inner side of the frame can be improved.

The above-described electro-optical device may further includes adriving circuit that drives the electro-optical panel and a conductiveprotection member that covers at least a part of the driving circuit,and the protection member may be connected to the conduction part of theframe.

In such a case, the static electricity discharged in the edge part ofthe electro-optical panel is penetrated into the conductive protectionmember. In addition, since the protection member and the driving circuitare insulated from each other, it can be prevented that the staticelectricity that has been penetrated into the protection member ispenetrated into the driving circuit. Thereby, the driving circuit can beprotected from being damaged due to the static electricity.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided anelectro-optical apparatus including any one of the above-describedelectro-optical devices.

In such a case, damages of the electronic apparatus due to the staticelectricity can be prevented, and thus, an electro-optical device thatis formed thinner than a general electro-optical device is installedthereto. Consequently, according to this aspect, damages due to staticelectricity are prevented, and thereby an electronic apparatus that isformed thinner than a general electronic apparatus can be provided.

The above-described electronic apparatus may further include a casingthat houses the electro-optical device, and the electro-optical deviceis brought into contact with the casing through the conduction part.

In such a case, the static electricity that is generated from thesurface of the electronic apparatus and penetrated into the casing isled to the conduction part. Accordingly, penetration of the staticelectricity to the electro-optical panel can be prevented.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein like numbers reference like elements.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a liquid crystal display device according to afirst embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-section view taken along line II-II shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-section view taken along line III-III shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross-section view of a liquid crystal display deviceaccording to a second embodiment of the invention which corresponds toFIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a cross-section view of a liquid crystal display deviceaccording to a third embodiment of the invention which corresponds toFIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a cross-section view of a liquid crystal display deviceaccording to a fourth embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross-section view taken along line VII-VII shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a cross-section view taken along line VIII-VIII shown in FIG.6.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view in the direction of arrow E shown in FIG.6.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view in the direction of arrow G shown in FIG.6.

FIGS. 11A to 11C are schematic diagrams showing examples of electronicapparatuses according to embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 12 is a cross-section view of major parts of an electronicapparatus according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of acellular phone according to an embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS First Embodiment

Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will bedescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawingsdescribed below, in order to set each constituent member to a sizerecognizable in the drawings, the scale is appropriately changed foreach constituent member.

Liquid Crystal Display Device

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a liquid crystal display device 100(electro-optical device). FIG. 2 is a cross-section view taken alongline II-II shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-section view taken alongline III-III shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the liquid crystal display device 100 has a frame 1having a general frame shape. In the frame 1, a liquid crystal panel LCPis housed.

The frame 1, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, is formed by a base part of theframe 1, a metal plate 2 that configures a frame core of the peripheryof the frame 1, and a resin part 3 that configures a casing of theperiphery of the frame 1 as an insulation part. The frame 1 isintegrally formed by insert-molding the metal plate 2 into the resinpart 3. The metal plate 2, for example, is formed of a metal materialsuch as stainless steel, and the resin part 3 is formed of a resinmaterial such as polycarbonate.

The edge of the metal plate 2 forms a side part that is bent to risevertically toward the surface side (viewing side) of the liquid crystalpanel LCP of the liquid crystal display device 100 in correspondencewith the shape of a cross-section of the resin part 3 which has theshape of an approximate letter “L”. The edge of the metal plate 2 isbent to be returned to the further outer side, and so-called a Hemmingprocessing is performed for the edge of the metal plate.

The inner side of the resin part 3 of the frame 1 is formed in the shapehaving multiple levels in accordance with the sizes and shapes of aluminance device BL and the liquid crystal panel LCP. The luminancedevice BL and the liquid crystal panel LCP are housed in the inner sideof the resin part 3.

The luminance device BL includes a light guiding plate 21, a diffusionsheet 22, and a prism sheet 23, and a light source, a reflection sheet,and the like that are not shown in the figure. The luminance device BLis configured to introduce light from the light source into the liquidcrystal panel LCP.

The liquid crystal panel LCP includes a pair of substrates 11 and 12facing each other. Between the substrates 11 and 12, a liquid crystallayer (not shown) is enclosed. The periphery of the liquid crystal layeris sealed by a sealing member that bonds the substrates 11 and 12together. On the liquid crystal layer side of one substrate 11, a pixelelectrode, a TFT, a wiring, and the like are formed. In addition, on theliquid crystal layer side of the other substrate 12, a common electrode,a wiring, and the like are formed. In addition, on sides opposite to theliquid crystal layers of the substrates 11 and 12, polarizing plates 13and 13 are fixed.

As shown in FIG. 2, a part (side part) of the edge of the metal plate 2bent toward the side of the surface 15 of the liquid crystal panel LCPis exposed to an inner side 3 a of the resin part 3 which opposes an endface 14 of the liquid crystal panel LCP in the thickness direction. Anexposed part of the conduction part 30 of the metal plate 2 is formed asan exposure part. The conduction part 30 is formed along the end face 14of the liquid crystal panel LCP.

A height H1 from the metal plate 2 located at the bottom of the frame 1to an end edge 31 of the conduction part 30 on the surface 15 side ofthe liquid crystal panel LCP is formed to be larger than a height H2 ofthe liquid crystal panel LCP from the metal plate 2 to the surface 15 ofthe liquid crystal panel LCP. Accordingly, the end edge 31 of theconduction part 30 is formed to protrude to the viewing side from thesurface 15 of the liquid crystal panel LCP.

Between the conduction part 30 and the liquid crystal panel LCP, forexample, a gap K of about 0.2 mm is formed. In addition, to a bottomface 2 b of the metal plate 2, a wiring having a ground electricpotential is connected, and the conduction part 30 that is a part of themetal plate 2 is in a ground state. The bottom face 2 b of the metalplate 2 may be brought into contact with a casing, which is not shown inthe figure, having a ground electric potential. Moreover, a groundterminal of a driving circuit that is mounted in the electro-opticaldevice may be brought into contact with the metal plate 2.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, in the edge part of the liquid crystal panelLCP, an extension part 16 that is installed by extending the substrate11 of the liquid crystal panel LCP is formed. In the extension part 16,for example, a terminal (not shown) to which an external connectionsubstrate such as an FPC is connected and the like are disposed. Inaddition, a driving IC 17 that drives the TFT of the substrate 11 andthe like is disposed in the extension part 16. An adhesive tape 18 thatis formed by an insulation material is adhered to the driving IC 17, anda conduction sheet 19 as a protection member is fixed to the driving IC17 by the adhesive tape 18. The conduction sheet 19 is, for example,formed of a material such as Al having conductivity and is disposed tocover the driving IC 17 of the extension part 16. The conduction sheet19 is electrically connected to an end edge 2 a of the metal plate 2 onthe surface 15 side which is bent to the surface 15 side of the liquidcrystal panel LCP by an adhesive agent having the conductivity and thelike.

As described above, edges of four sides that rise approximatelyvertically from the bottom face of the metal plate 2 is configured suchthat end edges 31 are formed to protrude from the surface 15 of theliquid crystal panel LCP on three sides and an end edge 2 a is formed tobent to a position lower than the surface 15 of the liquid crystal panelLCP on one side.

The end edge 31 that protrudes from the surface 15 of the liquid crystalpanel LCP may be configured on four sides, two sides, or only one side.In addition, the end edge 31 that protrudes from the surface 15 of theliquid crystal panel LCP may be configured in a part of one side.Furthermore, in order to prevent penetration of static electricity, theprotruded end edge 31 part may be configured to be bent to be coveredwith the surface 15 of the liquid crystal panel LCP with facing the endface of the electro-optical panel.

Next, an operation of this embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 2, static electricity SE that is discharged to theobservation side of the liquid crystal display device 100 tries topenetrate into the surface 15 of the liquid crystal panel LCP. Here, onthe inner side 3 a of the resin part 3 disposed along the end face 14 ofthe liquid crystal panel LCP in the thickness direction, the conductionpart 30 formed of a conductive material is disposed. The staticelectricity SE penetrates into the exposure part of the conduction part30 which has conductivity higher than the liquid crystal panel LCP.Thus, the static electricity SE is led to the conduction part 30, andaccordingly, it is possible to prevent penetration of the staticelectricity SE into the liquid crystal panel LCP and prevent damage ofthe liquid crystal panel LCP due to the static electricity SE.

In addition, the end edge 31 of the conduction part 30 which is locatedon the viewing side is formed to protrude to the viewing side from thesurface 15 of the liquid crystal panel LCP which is located on theviewing side. Since static electricity can be easily penetrated into aneighbor part having high conductivity, the static electricity SEgenerated in the liquid crystal display device 100 on the viewing sideis penetrated into the conduction part 30 that is protruded to theviewing side from the surface 15 of the liquid crystal panel LCP. Thepenetrated static electricity SE flows from the protruded conductionpart 30 to the bottom face 2 b of the metal plate 2. Then, the staticelectricity SE flows out to the wiring of a ground electric potentialwhich is connected to the bottom face 2 b of the metal plate 2.Accordingly, the static electricity SE generated in the liquid crystalpanel LCP on the viewing side is led to be penetrated into the protrudedconduction part 30, and thereby the penetration of the staticelectricity SE into the liquid crystal panel LCP can be prevented inadvance. The conduction part 30 may be configured not protrude to theviewing side from the surface 15 of the liquid crystal panel LCP. Insuch a case, discharge can easily occur in the frame by exposing theconduction part in the edge of the frame that is located on the surfaceside of the electro-optical panel.

In addition, the conduction part 30 is disposed on the inner face 3 a ofthe resin part 3 of the frame 1 along the end face 14 of the liquidcrystal panel LCP in the thickness direction. Accordingly, the thicknessor width of the liquid crystal display device 100 is not increased dueto the thickness T of the conduction part 30, and a screw and the likefor fixing the liquid crystal panel LCP are not needed.

Thereby, the size and thickness of the liquid crystal display device 100can be decreased, compared to a general case where a casing frame madeof a resin and a metal member are separately provided and the casingframe and the metal member are fixed by using screws.

In addition, since the gap K is formed between the conduction part 30and the liquid crystal panel LCP, the conduction part 30 and the liquidcrystal panel LCP are insulated from each other. Accordingly, it can beprevented that the static electricity SE penetrated into the conductionpart 30 is penetrated into the liquid crystal panel LCP.

In addition, the metal plate 2 is brought into contact with andconnected to the ground electric potential so as to be grounded. Thus,the conduction part 30 that is a part of the metal plate is alsogrounded, and accordingly, the static electricity SE penetrated into theconduction part 30 can be transmitted to the outside of the liquidcrystal display device 100.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, the driving IC 17 of the extension part16 is covered with the conduction sheet 19, and thus, the staticelectricity SE that has been discharged in the edge part of the liquidcrystal panel LCP is penetrated into the conduction sheet 19. Since theconduction sheet 19 and the driving IC 17 are insulated from each otherby the adhesive tape 18 that is formed of an insulation material, it canbe prevented that the static electricity SE penetrated into theconduction sheet 19 is penetrated into the driving IC 17. Accordingly,the driving IC 17 can be protected from being damaged due to the staticelectricity SE. Furthermore, the conduction sheet 19 is electricallyconnected to the end edge 2 a of the grounded metal plate 2 so as to begrounded, and accordingly, the static electricity SE penetrated into theconduction sheet 19 can be transmitted to the outside of the liquidcrystal display device 100. As a result, the driving IC 17 can beprotected from being damaged due to the static electricity SE moreassuredly.

In addition, for example, when the liquid crystal display device 100 isinstalled to an electronic apparatus such as a cellular phone, aconfiguration as shown in FIG. 13 is used.

A liquid crystal display unit 201 that is configured by the liquidcrystal display device 100 or the like is connected to a circuit unit205, and the circuit unit 205 is connected to a power supply unit 206.In addition, the liquid crystal display unit 201, the circuit unit 205,and the power supply unit 206 are connected to a wiring having a groundelectric potential so as to be grounded.

As described above, the static electricity SE discharged to theobservation side of the liquid crystal display device 100 is penetratedinto the conduction part 30 and can be transmitted to the outside of theliquid crystal display device 100 through the metal plate 2.

In addition, the ground is wired as a metal plate, a jumper line, acooper foil, or the like and is electrically connected by soldering,pressure bonding, screw fixing, or the like.

In addition, since the frame 1 is configured by the metal plate 2 andthe resin part 3 and the metal plate 2 is insert-molded into the resinpart 3, it is possible to improve mechanical strength of the frame 1 byreinforcing the resin part 3 by using the metal plate 2 and decrease thethickness of the frame 1 and the thickness of the liquid crystal displaydevice 100. In addition, since the edge of the metal plate 2 is bent tothe outer side of the conduction part 30, the strength of the edge ofthe metal plate 2 can be improved, whereby the mechanical strength ofthe frame 1 can be improved. In addition, the precision of the size ofthe metal plate 2 on the inner side of the frame 1 can be improved bybending the edge of the metal plate 2 to the outside.

As described above, according to the liquid crystal display device 100of this embodiment, penetration of the static electricity SE into theliquid crystal panel LCP through the conduction part 30 is prevented.Accordingly, damage of the liquid crystal panel LCP due to the staticelectricity SE can be prevented. In addition, since the thickness T ofthe conduction part 30 does not have influence on the thickness of theliquid crystal display device 100, a liquid crystal display device 100that can be formed much thinner than that of a general liquid crystaldisplay device can be provided.

Second Embodiment

Next, a second embodiment of the invention will be described withreference to FIG. 4 with FIGS. 1 and 3 cited. A liquid crystal displaydevice of this embodiment is different from that 100 of the firstembodiment that an insulation member INS is filled in the gap K betweenthe conduction part 30 and the liquid crystal panel LCP. Otherconfigurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, and thus,a same reference sign is assigned to a same part, and a descriptionthereof is omitted here.

As shown in FIG. 4, in a liquid crystal display device 101, in the gap Kbetween the conduction part 30 and the liquid crystal panel LCP, theinsulation member INS is filled. For the insulation member INS, forexample, a resin material having insulation higher than that of thesubstrates 11 and 12 of the surface of the liquid crystal panel LCP orthe like is used.

The conduction part 30 and the liquid crystal panel LCP are insulatedfrom each other more assuredly by filling the insulation member INS inthe gap K between the conduction part 30 and the liquid crystal panelLCP as described above. Accordingly, penetration of the staticelectricity SE, which has been penetrated into the conduction part 30,into the liquid crystal panel LCP can be prevented more assuredly.

Consequently, according to the liquid crystal display device 101 of thisembodiment, the same advantages as those of the liquid crystal displaydevice 100 according to the first embodiment can be acquired. Inaddition, the penetration of the static electricity SE from theconduction part 30 is prevented more assuredly, and thereby damage ofthe liquid crystal panel LCP due to the static electricity SE can beprevented more assuredly.

Third Embodiment

Next, a third embodiment of the invention will be described withreference to FIG. 5 with FIGS. 1 and 3 cited. A liquid crystal displaydevice of this embodiment is different from that 100 of the firstembodiment that a conduction member ECM is filled in the gap K betweenthe conduction part 30 and the liquid crystal panel LCP. Otherconfigurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, and thus,a same reference sign is assigned to a same part, and a descriptionthereof is omitted here.

As shown in FIG. 5, in a liquid crystal display device 102, in the gapbetween the conduction part 30 and the liquid crystal panel LCP, theconduction member ECM is filled. For the conduction member ECM, forexample, a conduction paste having conductivity higher than that of thesubstrates 11 and 12 of the surface of the liquid crystal panel LCP orthe like is used.

The conduction part 30 and the liquid crystal panel LCP are conductedeach other by filling the conduction member ECM in the gap K between theconduction part 30 and the liquid crystal panel LCP as described above.Accordingly, the static electricity SE accumulated in the liquid crystalpanel LCP can be transmitted to the conduction part 30 through theconduction member ECM.

Consequently, according to the liquid crystal display device 102 of thisembodiment, the same advantages as those of the liquid crystal displaydevice 100 according to the first embodiment can be acquired. Inaddition, electrically charging the liquid crystal panel LCP can beprevented more assuredly, and thereby damage of the liquid crystal panelLCP due to the static electricity SE can be prevented more assuredly.

Here, the substrate of the surface of the liquid crystal panel includesa polarizing plate, a wavelength plate, a plate having a surface onwhich a touch panel is added, and a plurality of substrates.

Fourth Embodiment

Hereinafter, a fourth embodiment of the invention will be described withreference to the accompanying drawings. For the liquid crystal panel LCPand the luminance device BL that have same configurations as those ofthe above-described embodiments, same reference signs are assigned fordescriptions.

Liquid Crystal Display Device

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a liquid crystal display device 103(electro-optical device). FIG. 7 is a cross-section view taken alongline VII-VII shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a cross-section view taken alongline VIII-VIII shown in FIG. 6. In addition, FIG. 9 is a perspectiveview in the direction of arrow E shown in FIG. 6, and FIG. 10 is aperspective view in the direction of arrow G shown in FIG. 6.

As shown in FIG. 6, the liquid crystal display device 103 has a frame 41having a general frame shape. In the frame 41, a liquid crystal panelLCP is housed.

The frame 41, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, is formed by a base part of theframe 41, a metal plate 42 that configures a frame core of the peripheryof the frame 41, and a resin part 43 that configures a casing of theperiphery of the frame 41 as an insulation part. The frame 41 isintegrally formed by insert-molding the metal plate 42 into the resinpart 43. The metal plate 42, for example, is formed of a metal materialsuch as stainless steel, and the resin part 43 is formed of a resinmaterial such as polycarbonate.

The edge of the metal plate 42 forms a side part that is bent to risevertically toward the surface side (viewing side) of the liquid crystalpanel LCP of the liquid crystal display device 103. The edge of themetal plate 42 is bent to be returned to the inner side that is a sideon which the liquid crystal panel LCP is housed.

On the inner side of the frame 41, the resin part 43 is formed in theshape having multiple levels in accordance with the sizes and shapes ofa luminance device BL and the liquid crystal panel LCP. The luminancedevice BL and the liquid crystal panel LCP are housed in the inner sideof the frame.

The luminance device BL includes a light guiding plate 21, a diffusionsheet 22, and a prism sheet 23, and a light source, a reflection sheet,and the like that are not shown in the figure. The luminance device isBL is configured to introduce light from the light source into theliquid crystal panel LCP.

The liquid crystal panel LCP includes a pair of substrates 11 and 12facing each other. Between the substrates 11 and 12, a liquid crystallayer (not shown) is enclosed. The periphery of the liquid crystal layeris sealed by a sealing member that bonds the substrates 11 and 12together. On the liquid crystal layer side of one substrate 11, a pixelelectrode, a TFT, a wiring, and the like are formed. In addition, on theliquid crystal layer side of the other substrate 12, a common electrode,a wiring, and the like are formed. In addition, on sides opposite to theliquid crystal layers of the substrates 11 and 12, polarizing plates 13and 13 are fixed.

In addition, between the luminance device BL and the liquid crystalpanel LCP, a light shielding sheet 25 that has adhesive layers on outerperipheral parts on both sides is included. The light shielding sheet 25bonds and fixes the resin part 43, the luminance device BL, and theliquid crystal panel LCP.

As shown in FIG. 7, an edge of the metal plate 42 which risesapproximately vertically from the bottom face is bent toward the side onwhich the liquid crystal panel LCP is housed (the inner side) so as toform an inner face 43 a. The inner face 43 a of the metal plate 42 isexposed with facing the end face 14 of the liquid crystal panel LCP inthe thickness direction, and an exposed part of the conduction part 50of the metal plate 42 is formed as an exposure part. The conduction part50 is formed along the end face 14 of the liquid crystal panel LCP. Thefront end of the bent part of the metal plate 42 is penetrated into theresin part 43 that is formed to have a multi-leveled shape. By using theabove-described structure, the metal 42 and the resin part 43 are noteasily separated from each other and can be integrated together.

A height H1 from the metal plate 42 located at the bottom of the frame41 to an end edge 51 of the conduction part 50 on the surface 15 side ofthe liquid crystal panel LCP is formed to be larger than a height H2 ofthe liquid crystal panel LCP from the metal plate to the surface 15 ofthe liquid crystal panel LCP. Accordingly, the end edge 51 of theconduction part 50 is formed to protrude to the viewing side from thesurface 15 of the liquid crystal panel LCP.

Between the conduction part 50 and the liquid crystal panel LCP, forexample, a gap K of about 0.2 mm is formed. In addition, to a bottomface 42 b of the metal plate 42, a wiring having a ground electricpotential is connected, and the conduction part 50 that is a part of themetal plate 42 is in a ground state. The bottom face 42 b of the metalplate 42 may be brought into contact with a casing, which is not shownin the figure, having a ground electric potential. Moreover, a groundterminal of a driving circuit that is mounted in the electro-opticaldevice may be brought into contact with the metal plate 42.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, in the edge part of the liquid crystal panelLCP, an extension part 16 that is installed by extending the substrate11 of the liquid crystal panel LCP is formed. In the extension part 16,for example, a terminal (not shown) to which an external connectionsubstrate such as an FPC is connected and the like are disposed. Inaddition, a driving IC 17 that drives the TFT of the substrate 11 andthe like is disposed in the extension part 16. An adhesive tape 18 thatis formed by an insulation material is adhered to the driving IC 17, anda conduction sheet 19 as a protection member is fixed to the driving IC17 by the adhesive tape 18. The conduction sheet 19 is, for example,formed of a material such as Al having conductivity and is disposed tocover the driving IC 17 of the extension part 16. The conduction sheet19 is electrically connected to an end edge 42 a of the metal plate 42on the surface 15 side which is bent to the surface 15 side of theliquid crystal panel LCP by an adhesive agent having the conductivityand the like. In addition, the front end of the metal plate 42 which isbent to the surface 15 side of the liquid crystal panel LCP ispenetrated into the resin part 43 in which the multi-leveled shape isformed.

As described above, edges of four sides that rise approximatelyvertically from the bottom face of the metal plate 42 are configuredsuch that end edges 51 are formed to protrude from the surface 15 of theliquid crystal panel LCP on three sides and an end edge 42 a is formedto bent to a position lower than the surface 15 of the liquid crystalpanel LCP on one side.

The end edge 51 that protrudes from the surface 15 of the liquid crystalpanel LCP may be configured on four sides, two sides, or only one side.In addition, the end edge 51 that protrudes from the surface 15 of theliquid crystal panel LCP may be configured in a part of one side.Furthermore, in order to prevent penetration of static electricity, theprotruded end edge 51 may be configured to be bent to be covered withthe surface 15 of the liquid crystal panel LCP with facing the end faceof the electro-optical panel.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, in the resin part 43 of the frame 41,corner parts 43 b and 43 e located in four corners of the frame 41 aredisposed. The corner parts 43 b of the frame 41 on the side denoted byarrow E, as shown in FIG. 9, are formed to cover an intersection part oftwo sides that rise from the bottom face of the metal plate 42.

The corner parts 43 b formed of a resin are formed on the inner sidefrom the face of the metal plate 42 on the side (inner side) in whichthe liquid crystal panel LCP is housed. In addition, a notch part 43 cthat is formed by notching the corner from the inner side is formed.

In addition, a protrusion part 43 d is disposed toward the side of theouter periphery of the corner part 43 b. The protrusion part 43 d isformed to extend in one direction by using a same face as the bottomface of the metal plate 42 as its bottom face. In this embodiment, theprotrusion part 43 d is formed to extend in the direction of a shorterlength side of the liquid crystal panel LCP.

In addition, similarly, the corner parts 43 e of the frame 41 on theside denoted by arrow G, as shown in FIG. 10, are formed to cover anintersection part of two sides that rise from the bottom face of themetal plate 42. Between the two sides that intersect each other, oneside is an end edge 51 of the conduction part 50, and the other side isan end edge 42 a. Heights of the two sides are different from eachother. The corner parts 43 e are formed to cover the sides to have asame height.

The corner parts 43 e formed of a resin are formed on the inner sidefrom the face of the metal plate 42 on the side (inner side) in whichthe liquid crystal panel LCP is housed. In addition, a notch part 43 fthat is formed by notching the corner from the inner side is formed.

In addition, a protrusion part 43 g is disposed toward the side of theouter periphery of the corner part 43 e. The protrusion part 43 g isformed to extend in one direction by using a same face as the bottomface of the metal plate 42 as its bottom face. In this embodiment, theprotrusion part 43 g is formed to extend in the direction of a shorterlength side of the liquid crystal panel LCP.

In addition, the protrusion parts 43 d and 43 g may be provided so as toprotrude in the thickness direction of the liquid crystal panel LCP fromthe bottom face of the metal plate 42.

The resin part 43 of the frame 41 may be formed of a conductive resin.In such a case, the range of the frame 41 which has conductivity iswidened, and accordingly, the path through which the static electricitySE flows can be increased.

In addition, as in the third embodiment, a conductive member havingconductivity higher than the substrate of the surface of the liquidcrystal panel LCP may be filled in the gap K between the conduction part50 and the liquid crystal panel LCP.

As described above, when the liquid crystal panel LCP is installed tothe frame 41, the end face 14 of the liquid crystal panel LCP is notbrought into contact with the metal plate 42 and is brought into contactwith the corner parts 43 b or the corner parts 43 e of the resin part.Accordingly, damage of the liquid crystal panel LCP such as cracks canbe prevented.

In addition, since the static electricity from the corner parts of theliquid crystal panel LCP flows through the notch part 43 c, cracks ofthe corner parts of the liquid crystal panel LCP can be prevented.

In addition, the size of the liquid crystal display device 103 in thedirection of the longer length side becomes the size of the metal plate42 located in the outermost peripheral position. Accordingly, the sizeof the liquid crystal display device 103 in the direction of the longerlength side can be decreased, and thereby miniaturization of the liquidcrystal display device 103 can be achieved.

Next, an operation of this embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 7, static electricity SE that is discharged to theobservation side of the liquid crystal display device 103 tries topenetrate into the surface 15 of the liquid crystal panel LCP. Here, onthe inner side 43 a of the resin part 43 disposed along the end face 14of the liquid crystal panel LCP in the thickness direction, theconduction part 50 formed of a conductive material is disposed. Thestatic electricity SE penetrates into the exposure part of theconduction part 50 which has conductivity higher than the liquid crystalpanel LCP. Thus, the static electricity SE is led to the conduction part50, and accordingly, it is possible to prevent penetration of the staticelectricity SE into the liquid crystal panel LCP and prevent damage ofthe liquid crystal panel LCP due to the static electricity SE.

In addition, the end edge 51 of the conduction part 50 which is locatedon the viewing side is formed to protrude to the viewing side from thesurface 15 of the liquid crystal panel LCP which is located on theviewing side. Since static electricity can be easily penetrated into aneighbor part having high conductivity, the static electricity SEgenerated in the liquid crystal display device 100 on the viewing sideis penetrated into the conduction part 50 that protrudes to the viewingside from the surface 15 of the liquid crystal panel LCP. The penetratedstatic electricity SE flows from the protruded conduction part 50 to thebottom face 42 b of the metal plate 42. Then, the static electricity SEflows out to the wiring of a ground electric potential which isconnected to the bottom face 42 b of the metal plate 42. Accordingly,the static electricity SE generated in the liquid crystal panel LCP onthe viewing side is led to be penetrated into the protruded conductionpart 50, and thereby penetration of the static electricity SE into theliquid crystal panel LCP can be prevented in advance. In addition, evenwhen a display window of a cellular phone is disposed on the surface 15side of the liquid crystal panel LCP on the viewing side, the staticelectricity SE in the display window is penetrated into the conductionpart 50 that protrudes to the viewing side, and the penetration of thestatic electricity SE into the liquid crystal panel LCP can be preventedin advance. In addition, since the conduction part 50 that protrudes tothe viewing side from the surface 15 of the liquid crystal panel LCP isbrought into direct contact with the display window of the cellularphone, mechanical external pressure added to the surface 15 of theliquid crystal panel LCP can be relieved even in a case where themechanical external pressure is added to the display window of thecellular phone, and strength of the liquid crystal panel LCP for crackscan be improved.

The conduction part 50 may be configured not protrude to the viewingside from the surface 15 of the liquid crystal panel LCP. In such acase, discharge can easily occur in the frame by exposing the conductionpart in the edge of the frame that is located on the surface side of theelectro-optical panel.

In addition, the conduction part 50 is disposed on the inner face 43 aof the resin part 43 of the frame 1 along the end face 14 of the liquidcrystal panel LCP in the thickness direction. Accordingly, the thicknessor width of the liquid crystal display device 103 is not increased dueto the thickness T of the conduction part 50, and a screw and the likefor fixing the liquid crystal panel LCP are not needed.

Thereby, the size and thickness of the liquid crystal display device 103can be decreased, compared to a general case where a casing frame madeof a resin and a metal member are separately provided and the casingframe and the metal member are fixed by using screws.

In addition, since the gap K is formed between the conduction part 50and the liquid crystal panel LCP, the conduction part 50 and the liquidcrystal panel LCP are insulated from each other. Accordingly, it can beprevented that the static electricity SE penetrated into the conductionpart 50 is penetrated into the liquid crystal panel LCP.

In addition, the metal plate 42 is brought into contact with andconnected to the ground electric potential so as to be grounded. Thus,the conduction part 50 that is a part of the metal plate is alsogrounded, and accordingly, the static electricity SE penetrated into theconduction part 50 can be transmitted to the outside of the liquidcrystal display device 103.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 8, the driving IC 17 of the extension part16 is covered with the conduction sheet 19, and thus, the staticelectricity SE that has been discharged in the edge part of the liquidcrystal panel LCP is penetrated into the conduction sheet 19. Since theconduction sheet 19 and the driving IC 17 are insulated from each otherby the adhesive tape 18 that is formed of an insulation material, it canbe prevented that the static electricity SE penetrated into theconduction sheet 19 is penetrated into the driving IC 17. Accordingly,the driving IC 17 can be protected from being damaged due to the staticelectricity SE. Furthermore, the conduction sheet 19 is electricallyconnected to the end edge 42 a of the grounded metal plate 42 so as tobe grounded, and accordingly, the static electricity SE penetrated intothe conduction sheet 19 can be transmitted to the outside of the liquidcrystal display device 103. As a result, the driving IC 17 can beprotected from being damaged due to the static electricity SE moreassuredly.

In addition, for example, when the liquid crystal display device 103 isinstalled to an electronic apparatus such as a cellular phone, aconfiguration as shown in FIG. 13 is used.

A liquid crystal display unit 201 that is configured by the liquidcrystal display device 103 or the like is connected to a circuit unit205, and the circuit unit 205 is connected to a power supply unit 206.In addition, the liquid crystal display unit 201, the circuit unit 205,and the power supply unit 206 are connected to a wiring having a groundelectric potential so as to be grounded.

As described above, the static electricity SE discharged to theobservation side of the liquid crystal display device 103 is penetratedinto the conduction part 30 and can be transmitted to the outside of theliquid crystal display device 103 through the metal plate 42.

In addition, the ground is wired as a metal plate, a jumper line, acooper foil, or the like and is electrically connected by soldering,pressure bonding, screw fixing, or the like.

In addition, since the frame 41 is configured by the metal plate 42 andthe resin part 43 and the metal plate 42 is insert-molded into the resinpart 43, it is possible to improve mechanical strength of the frame 41by reinforcing the resin part 43 by using the metal plate 42 anddecrease the thickness of the frame 41 and the thickness of the liquidcrystal display device 103. In addition, since the edge of the metalplate 42 is bent to the inner side, the strength of the edge of themetal plate 42 can be improved, whereby the mechanical strength of theframe 41 can be improved. In addition, the precision of the size of themetal plate 42 on the outer side of the frame 41 can be improved bybending the edge of the metal plate 42 to the inner side.

In addition, the corner parts 43 b and 43 e that are exposed to theinner side of four corners of the frame 41 are formed in the resin part.Thus, when the liquid crystal panel LCP is installed to the frame 41,the end face of the liquid crystal panel LCP is brought into contactwith the corner parts 43 b and 43 e. Accordingly, the frame 41 and theend face of the liquid crystal panel LCP are brought into contact withnot metal but a resin, and thereby damages such as cracks are notgenerated in the liquid crystal panel LCP.

In addition, the resin part 43 of the frame 41 has the protrusion parts43 d and 43 g that protrude to the outer side of four corners of theframe 41. Accordingly, when the liquid crystal display device 103 isinstalled to an electronic apparatus or the like, the protrusion parts43 d and 43 g serve to determine the position of the liquid crystaldisplay device, and thereby assembly thereof can be performed in an easymanner.

As described above, according to the liquid crystal display device 103of this embodiment, penetration of the static electricity SE into theliquid crystal panel LCP through the conduction part 50 is prevented.Accordingly, damage of the liquid crystal panel LCP due to the staticelectricity SE can be prevented. In addition, since the thickness T ofthe conduction part 50 does not have influence on the thickness of theliquid crystal display device 103, a liquid crystal display device 103that can be formed much thinner than that of a general liquid crystaldisplay device can be provided.

Electronic Apparatus

Next, a detailed example of an electronic apparatus having the liquiddisplay device 100, 101, 102, or 103 described in the above-describedembodiments will be described.

FIG. 11A is a perspective view showing an example of a cellular phone.In FIG. 11A, reference numeral 200 denotes a main body of the cellularphone, and reference numeral 201 denotes a liquid crystal display unitincluding any one of the liquid crystal display devices 100, 101, 102,and 103 according to the above-described embodiments.

FIG. 11B is a perspective view of an example of a mobile informationprocessing apparatus such as a word processor or a PC. In FIG. 11B,reference numeral 300 denotes the information processing apparatus,reference numeral 301 denotes an input unit such as a keyboard,reference numeral 303 denotes a main body of the information processingapparatus, and reference numeral 302 denotes a liquid crystal displayunit including any one of the liquid crystal display devices 100, 101,102, and 103 according to the above-described embodiments.

FIG. 11C is a perspective view showing an example of a wrist watch-typeelectronic apparatus. In FIG. 11C, reference numeral 400 denotes a watchmain body, and reference numeral 401 denotes a liquid crystal displayunit including any one of the liquid crystal display devices 100, 101,102, and 103 according to the above-described embodiments.

FIG. 12 is a cross-section view of major parts of the main body 200 ofthe cellular phone. FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a schematicconfiguration of the cellular phone.

As shown in FIG. 12, in the main body 200 of the cellular phone, forexample, the above-described liquid crystal display device 101 is housedin a casing 202. A liquid crystal display unit 201 of the casing 202 hasa display window 203 that is formed of a transparent material such asglass. The display window 203 of the casing 202 is brought into contactwith the end edge of a conduction part 30, which protrudes from thesurface of a liquid crystal panel LCP, to be electrically connected toeach other.

As shown in FIG. 13, the liquid crystal display unit 201 is connected toa circuit unit 205, and the circuit unit 205 is connected to a powersupply unit 206. In addition, the liquid crystal display unit 201, thecircuit unit 205, and the power supply unit 206 are connected to awiring having a ground electric potential so as to be grounded. Inaddition, the ground is wired as a metal plate, a jumper line, a cooperfoil, or the like and is electrically connected by soldering, pressurebonding, screw fixing, or the like.

For example, when a charged human body is in contact with the displaywindow 203, the static electricity SE is led from the display window 203to the casing 202 or the conduction part 30. Generally, the casing 202is connected to a ground electric potential wiring, and accordingly, thestatic electricity led to the casing 202 side is led to the outside. Inaddition, the static electricity SE led to the conduction part 30 islead to a ground electric potential wiring of the main body 200 of thecellular phone.

As described above, when the static electricity SE that is generatedfrom the surface of the main body 200 of the cellular phone ispenetrated into the liquid crystal display unit 201, the staticelectricity SE is led from the display window 203 to the conduction part30 so as to be led to the outside.

In addition, also in the information processing apparatus 300 and thewatch main body 400, similarly to the main body 200 of the cellularphone, the static electricity SE penetrated into the liquid crystaldisplay units 302 and 401 can be lead to the outside by the conductionpart 30.

As described above, the electronic apparatuses 200, 300, and 400 shownin FIGS. 11A to 11C can be prevented from being damaged due to thestatic electricity SE, and the liquid crystal display devices 100, 101,and 102 that can be formed to be thinner than a general device aremounted therein. Consequently, according to the above-describedelectronic apparatuses 200, 300, and 400, the damage due to the staticelectricity SE can be prevented, and thereby the electronic apparatuses200, 300, and 400 that are formed to be thinner than a general apparatuscan be provided.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments,and various changes in forms can be made therein without departing fromthe gist of the invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the conduction part isconfigured as a bending part of the metal plate constituting the bottompart of the frame. However, the conduction part may be a flat plateother than the bottom part, as long as the conduction part is disposedon the inner face of the frame along the direction of the thickness ofthe electro-optical panel. Furthermore, the conduction part may be inthe shape of a mesh, a rod, or a reed, and a conductive member may befilled therein.

In addition, although a case where a gap between the end face of theliquid crystal panel and the conduction part is formed has beendescribed in the above-described embodiments, however, the end face ofthe liquid crystal panel and the conduction part may be brought intocontact with each other. In such a case, the static electricityaccumulated in the liquid crystal panel can be efficiently transmittedto the conduction part.

In addition, although the electronic apparatuses according to theabove-described embodiments are configured to include a liquid crystaldevice, however, the electronic apparatuses may include different typesof electro-optical devices such as an organic electroluminescencedisplay device or a plasma-type display device.

1. An electro-optical device comprising: a frame including a conductionpart and a resin part; an electro-optical panel that is housed in theinner side of the resin part; and an exposure part that is formed byexposing the conduction part from the resin part, wherein the exposurepart is disposed to face at least a part of an end face of theelectro-optical panel or protrude from a surface of the electro-opticalpanel over the end face.
 2. The electro-optical device according toclaim 1, wherein the conduction part is exposed in an edge of the frame.3. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein theconduction part is a metal plate disposed at least along the end face ofthe electro-optical panel, and wherein the resin part includes a resinmaterial that is formed integrally with the metal plate.
 4. Theelectro-optical device according to claim 3, wherein the frame includesa bottom part including the metal plate and a side part that is formedby bending the metal plate to the electro-optical panel side, andwherein the resin part is integrally formed with the metal plate in theside part.
 5. The electro-optical device according to claim 3, whereinthe frame is formed by insert-molding the metal plate into the resinmaterial.
 6. The electro-optical device according to claim 1, wherein agap is formed between the frame and the end face of the electro-opticalpanel.
 7. The electro-optical device according to claim 6, wherein aconduction member having conductivity higher than a substrate of thesurface of the electro-optical panel is filled in the gap.
 8. Theelectro-optical device according to claim 4, wherein an edge of themetal plate is bent in the side part toward a side opposite to theelectro-optical panel.
 9. The electro-optical device according to claim4, wherein an edge of the metal plate is bent in the side part towardthe electro-optical panel side.
 10. The electro-optical device accordingto claim 1, further comprising: a driving circuit that drives theelectro-optical panel; and a conductive protection member that covers atleast a part of the driving circuit, wherein the protection member isconnected to the conduction part of the frame.
 11. An electronicapparatus comprising the electro-optical device according to claim 1.12. The electronic apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising acasing that houses the electro-optical device, wherein theelectro-optical device is brought into contact with the casing throughthe conduction part.